1 Kings 11:1-13 (NIV) 1 King Solomon, However, Loved Many Foreign Women Besides Pharaoh's Daughter- -Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites

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Third Presbyterian Church Tuesday Bible Study Old Testament Tour – Kings Lesson 79 – Solomon and his wives 1 Kings 11:1-13 (NIV) 1 King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh's daughter- -Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites. 2 They were from nations about which the LORD had told the Israelites, "You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods." Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love. 3 He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray. 4 As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been. 5 He followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molech the detestable god of the Ammonites. 6 So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the LORD; he did not follow the LORD completely, as David his father had done. 7 On a hill east of Jerusalem, Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the detestable god of Moab, and for Molech the detestable god of the Ammonites. 8 He did the same for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and offered sacrifices to their gods. 9 The LORD became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice. 10 Although he had forbidden Solomon to follow other gods, Solomon did not keep the LORD's command. 11 So the LORD said to Solomon, "Since this is your attitude and you have not kept my covenant and my decrees, which I commanded you, I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your subordinates. 12 Nevertheless, for the sake of David your father, I will not do it during your lifetime. I will tear it out of the hand of your son. 13 Yet I will not tear the whole kingdom from him, but will give him one tribe for the sake of David my servant and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen."

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Questions

1. You have heard the adage “Bird of a Feather flock together” which on the surface means that groups of like kind hang together. There is another connotation of this saying because if you are not of the same feather as the group, then the groups influence on you will be more than your influence on the group and you will start flying like the group. A. Explain why that is the case? B. What groups have you been positively influenced by and speak to a group where you have been negatively influenced? C. How do you determine groups you will flock with nowadays? 2. What are the potential problems of a marriage between two people of different faiths? Explain why for each potential problem. 3. How did the condition of Solomon’s heart differ from David’s before him? 4. Jesus recognized that as humans we will want to please others, but that we must be careful that we don’t sacrifice the importance of pleasing God first. How do we make sure the need to please others and the need for acceptance does not supersede pleasing/ obeying God. 5. Why is it not acceptable and even dangerous to follow God any less than completely? Please give example. 6. Solomon began to love the “greatness” that was attributed to him by others. He started to build political peace through pagan marriages instead of trusting God to keep the peace. He thought if I take this person from this country as my wife then we will have peace with that country. A. Why is this thinking in error? B. Do you have an example (personal or otherwise) where you thought you could keep peace by compromising yourself rather than trusting God? 7. People use the word love in so many different applications it’s hard to determine what the connection truly is….for example people say I love my spouse and turn around and say I love fried chicken and I love the Lord……that is confusing…..but What "loves" and influences should we examine to be sure that they are not drawing us away from devotion to God? How can we change our vocabulary so the lines won’t be so blurry as we use the word love? 8. What can you do to cultivate a wholehearted commitment to God this coming week?

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M. The Shocking Decline and Death of Solomon: The Tragic Consequences of Extravagance, Shameful Indulgence, and Compromise, (11:1-43) Introduction: experiencing pleasure can be wonderful and wholesome—the joy of loving others and of being loved; of sensing purpose, meaning, and fulfillment in life; of setting a goal and attaining it; of leading someone to Christ, and so on. But carried to the extreme, pleasure can lead to indulgence and license and all forms of sinful and immoral behavior. If a person zealously pursues pleasure over and above anything else— above God, above family, above responsibilities, above reason—then pleasure becomes a god to the person. Pleasure becomes the master and the willing participant becomes the slave. In the same light, luxury, in its purest form, is not sinful. If a person has been blessed materially—never lacking the necessities of life—and keeps a proper perspective on the value of his possessions versus God, family, and responsibilities, then that person does not become the slave of luxury. But far too often, the more a person has or gets, the more he wants. Furthermore, luxury can lead to a life of self-absorption, complacence, indifference, and extravagance, ignoring and neglecting those in need. Luxury and pleasure became the downfall of King Solomon, the great king of Israel. As we have seen, Solomon had achieved the summit of power and wealth, of luxury and pleasure, and of fame and influence. Up until this point in Scripture, only the crest of his achievements has been seen. But now, shockingly, his story takes a tragic turn. By degrees, Solomon's luxury and pleasure slowly began to eat away at the strength of his character and spiritual commitment to the LORD. Solomon began to travel down the treacherous path of turning away from the LORD and turning to a life of immorality and false worship. This is: The Shocking Decline and Death of Solomon: The Tragic Consequences of Extravagance, Shameful Indulgence, and Compromise,

1. (11:1-8) Half-Hearted, Example of— Commitment, Half-Hearted, Example of— Lukewarm, Example of— Neutral, Example of— Double-minded, Example of— Disobedience, Example of— Polygamy, Example of— Evil Associations, Example of— Companions, Evil, Example of— Intermarriage, with Unbelievers, Example of— Company, Evil, Example of— Spiritual Separation, Disobedience – Failure— Solomon, Sin and Decline of: there were the causes of Solomon's shocking decline. A dramatic transition now takes place. Up until this point, a glowing report has been given on Solomon's life: he had reached the height of spiritual fervor and of international prominence and reputation. He was a man richly blessed by God with wisdom, wealth, and power. And he had established Israel as one of the most powerful and influential nations of the world during his day. But now an alarming descent into depravity takes place. Scripture explains exactly what happened to cause the decline of Solomon.

1. Solomon loved many foreign women who were unbelievers; that is, he practiced polygamy and married unbelievers (1 Kings 11:1-3). He had "feet of clay" and was very sensual, obviously being easily attracted and aroused by women. Scripture indicates that Solomon was given over to the flesh. Verse one says that he "loved many strange [foreign] women," and verse two says that Solomon "clung, held fast to these women in love." Note three facts about Solomon's practicing polygamy and marrying unbelievers: a. Solomon defied, disobeyed God's clear command and strong warning (1 Kings 11:2). God's people— whether they were kings or citizens—were not to intermarry with unbelievers. Why? Because unbelievers would influence the believers and turn their hearts from the LORD, leading believers to participate in their spouses false worship and idolatry (Deut. 17:17; see also Exodus 34:12-17; Deut. 7:1-5). b. Solomon clung to his wives, becoming so attached that he put them before the LORD (1 Kings 11:2). Living with them day by day, he slowly and gradually gave in to their invitations to join them in their false worship. Because of his love, he naturally wanted to please them and to be with them during the joyful occasions and festivals of their religion. Remember that much of the social life of his day and time revolved around the festivities of the people's worship. It is normal and very commendable for a husband to love his wife and to become attached to her. However, Solomon had married the wrong P a g e | 4

women, and he was clinging to the wrong women. He had married unbelievers; consequently, he was influenced and led astray by them. c. All together, Solomon had 700 wives who were princesses of royal birth, and he had 300 concubines (1 Kings 11:3). No doubt most, if not all, of these marriages had initially been politically motivated. Seeking peaceful relations with surrounding nations and small territories, Solomon joined in the practice of other nations, that of cementing peace treaties by marrying the royal princesses of the various rulers or kingdoms. 2. Secondly, Solomon was led astray by his wives, led into their idolatry and false worship (1 Kings 11:4-8). Scripture clearly says that he was neither loyal nor fully devoted to the LORD. He did not trust solely in the LORD as his father David had done (1 Kings 11:4). Solomon honored and joined in the false worship of his wives, worshipping the false gods of Ashtoreth and Milcom or Molech, which is an alternate name for Milcom (1 Kings 11:5, 7). Ashtoreth was the fertility goddess that was worshipped as the goddess of love (sex) and of war. Milcom or Molech was a national god of the Ammonites that was sometimes worshipped by sacrificing children (Jeremiah 7:31-32; 19:5-6; 32:35). Solomon plainly did not follow the LORD completely as his father David had done (1 Kings 11:6). For when David sinned, he confessed and repented, turning back to the LORD. But not Solomon. He became halfhearted, neutral, double-minded, and lukewarm toward the LORD. When he married his various wives, he did what was a very natural thing for rulers of that day: he built worship centers for them. Two worship centers in particular are mentioned: a high place for their false god Chemosh, who was the detestable god of Moab, and a high place for Molech, the detestable god of the Ammonites (1 Kings 11:7). By building these false worship centers, he encouraged false worship within the promised land. Sadly, many of the people followed the lead of Solomon's wives and became committed worshippers of the false gods (2 Kings 23:13).

Thought 1. Solomon's character and spiritual commitment declined for one reason: evil associations. He married unbelievers, and his unbelieving wives eventually led him astray. God warns us against evil associations, including marrying unbelievers and keeping company with unbelievers. If we associate and keep company with unbelievers and wicked people, they will influence us no matter how strong we may be spiritually. Eventually they will invite us to join in their worldly behavior or wickedness: ⇒ to join them as they take drugs or drink alcoholic beverages or smoke cigarettes or do something else that will damage the human body ⇒ to join them as they look at pornographic literature or movies or some other lewd, immoral spectacle ⇒ to join them in an immoral act or at an immoral party or function ⇒ to join them in committing an illegal act or crime ⇒ to join them in their worldly conversation or activity ⇒ to join them in their false worship ⇒ to join them in their covetous behavior It is impossible for any person—no matter how mentally or spiritually strong the person may be—to continually associate with worldly and wicked people and not be influenced by them. Eventually, they will lead us astray. For this reason, God strongly warns us against evil associations:

"If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you" (John 15:19). P a g e | 5

"And the servants and officers stood there, who had made a fire of coals; for it was cold: and they warmed themselves: and Peter stood with them, and warmed himself….And Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. They said therefore unto him, Art not thou also one of his disciples? He denied it, and said, I am not" (John 18:18, 25). "And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation" (Acts 2:40). "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God" (Romans 12:2). "But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat" (1 Cor. 5:11). "Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners" (1 Cor. 15:33). "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people" (2 Cor. 6:14-16). "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty" (2 Cor. 6:17-18).

Thought 2. The commentator Paul R. House gives an excellent exposition on verses one through three that is well worth quoting in its entirety:

After the glowing report in 10:14-29, these verses are the literary equivalent of a blow to the face. Despite all his obvious strengths, the king has a very evident weakness for women, especially foreign women. Besides Pharaoh's daughter, he loves Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women. Altogether he accumulates "seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines." Like the marriage to the Egyptian princess, most of these unions probably were politically motivated. Such linking of nations was intended to foster peaceful relations between normally combative countries. In a straightforward secular kingdom this practice would be good politics. There are several problems, however, with what Solomon has done. First, he has disobeyed Moses' law for marriage, which constitutes a breach of the agreement Solomon makes with God in 1 Kgs 3:1-14; 6:11-13; and 9:1-9. Moses says in Deut 7:3-4 and Exod 34:15-16 that Israelites must not intermarry with noncovenant nations. Why? Because God says "they will turn your sons away from following me to serve other gods" (Deut 7:4). Judgment will then result. Second, Solomon has broken Moses' commands for kings (cf. Deut 17:14-20). Moses explicitly says, "He must not take many wives or his heart will be led astray" (Deut 17:17). Indeed, all of Moses' dire predictions come true in Solomon's case. His wives do lure him into idolatry. Solomon, however, is responsible for his own actions. He knows better but does not act on this knowledge. Third, Solomon has evidently fallen into the emotional trap of wanting to be like pagan kings. Moses counsels kings to remain as close to the people as possible (Deut 17:14-20). Kings who become too wealthy desire possessions and women more than they desire to serve God and the P a g e | 6

people, Moses warns (Deut 17:14-20). Solomon has clearly forgotten this admonition. He has competed with other kings and queens in wisdom and splendor and has won (cf. 1 Kgs 4:29-34; 10:1-13, 23-25). These victories are gifts from God (1 Kgs 3:10-15). Competing in wives is outside of God's will and promise to bless, though, so the process can have no positive result.

2. (11:9-26) Chastisement, of God, Example of— Discipline, of God, Example of— Consequences, of Sin, Example of— Sin, Consequences, Example of— Solomon, Consequence of Sin— Hadad the Edomite, Adversary to Solomon— Rezon, Adversary to Solomon: there were the consequences of Solomon's terrible sin. Solomon's shocking sin and spiritual decline were utterly inexcusable, for Solomon had been privileged beyond comprehension. And he had been given two very unique privileges: that of having God appear to him twice and that of being David's very own son. By being David's son, Solomon had been given the privilege of being reared and trained by a man who was fully devoted to the LORD. And he had the privilege of observing a godly king rule the nation, an ideal example of what God wanted a ruler to be.

But Solomon forgot his upbringing, and the appearances by God slowly diminished from his memory. Consequently, he did the unthinkable: he disobeyed. Slowly but surely he slipped into a sensual, immoral lifestyle, and eventually he participated in the false worship services of his wives. As a result, Solomon was to bear the hand of God's chastisement and judgment. Five consequences of Solomon's terrible sin are spelled out by Scripture. 1. God's anger was aroused against Solomon (1 Kings 11:9-10). Two reasons are given for God's anger: ⇒ God was angry because of Solomon's apostasy. Solomon had turned away from the LORD, turned away despite the wonderful privilege God had given him, the privilege of having appeared to him twice (1 Kings 11:9). ⇒ God's anger was aroused because of Solomon's half-hearted commitment to Him, his defiant disobedience to God's clear commandment (1 Kings 11:10; see also 1 Kings 11:2). 2. The kingdom of Israel was to be divided, split, torn apart (1 Kings 11:11-13). A united Israel was never again to be known. But God would show mercy. He would not divide the kingdom during Solomon's lifetime, but rather during his son's reign (1 Kings 11:12). Despite his sin, Solomon would be allowed to continue ruling, but not for his sake. Instead, he would continue to rule for his father David's sake. But God's mercy was not to end at Solomon's death: the kingdom would not be torn completely from Solomon's son (1 Kings 11:13). For the sake of David and Jerusalem, Solomon's son would be allowed to rule one tribe, the tribe of Judah. In granting this concession to Solomon, it must be remembered that it was not granted for Solomon's sake, but for the sake of his father David (see outline—• 2 Samuel 7:1-17 and notes—• 2 Samuel 7:1-17 for more discussion). Because of God's promise to David, the promise to give him a lasting dynasty that would never end, God allowed Solomon to continue ruling for the remainder of his life. Nevertheless, the hand of God's judgment had fallen upon Solomon because of his terrible wickedness. And the judgment was stunning: the unified nation that had reached the pinnacle of power would be ripped, torn apart. And Solomon's son would rule over only one tribe. 3. An adversary, Hadad the Edomite, was raised up to bitterly oppose and cause problems for Solomon (1 Kings 11:14-22). Although Solomon had been left upon the throne, he was to suffer the consequences of his sins during the latter years of his life. One of the consequences was the bitter opposition caused by Hadad. Note two facts about this adversary: a. Hadad experienced a suspenseful, life-threatening event during his early childhood (1 Kings 11:15- 18). He barely escaped being killed as a boy when David defeated Edom (1 Kings 11:15-16). In a mopping up operation, David had left Joab in the land for a period of six months. But Hadad had been saved by some Edomite officials who had escaped and were fleeing to Egypt (1 Kings 11:17). The young boy was taken from Midian to Paran, where others joined the official party in their flight P a g e | 7

(1 Kings 11:18). After arriving in Egypt, the young boy, apparently of royal blood, was well received by Pharaoh and given a house, property, and food. b. As an adult, Hadad so pleased Pharaoh that the king gave him his sister-in-law to marry, the sister of his own wife Queen Tahpenes (1 Kings 11:19). Eventually Hadad had a son named Genubath who was brought up with Pharaoh's own sons in the royal household (1 Kings 11:20). When David and Joab died, Hadad felt it was safe to return home. So he immediately requested the right to return home to Edom. Pharaoh questioned his request, but granted him permission (1 Kings 11:21-22). Apparently right after returning home, Hadad began to seek revenge against the Israelites. But no specifics of his harassment are given by Scripture. All that is known is that God raised him up to bitterly oppose and harass King Solomon because of Solomon's terrible wickedness. 4. A second adversary, the bandit Rezon, was also raised up by the LORD (1 Kings 11:23-25). Apparently Rezon had been a commander in the army of Hadadezer, who was king of Zobah. After David had defeated Hadadezer, Rezon escaped and soon became the leader of a band of raiders or marauders. Eventually, he conquered and controlled Damascus, where he and his bandits settled. Scripture says that as long as Solomon lived, Rezon was a fierce adversary of the king's (1 Kings 11:25). He roamed all about, causing trouble for Solomon throughout all Israel. 5. Jeroboam soon arose to become the third significant adversary to oppose Solomon (1 Kings 11:26). Jeroboam had even been one of Solomon's own officials, the labor supervisor over the two tribes of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh (see 1 Kings 11:28). Jeroboam is discussed in detail in the next point. For now, the fact to see is that God raised up Jeroboam as part of the chastisement against Solomon because of the king's terrible disobedience.

Thought 1. Wickedness damages human life and society and anything else it touches. Think of the harm that can be done when a person lies, steals, cheats, commits adultery, takes drugs, gets drunk, abuses a child, assaults a person, ignores the rules, or violates the law. All sin has consequences that damage human life and society. Sin takes its toll on the human body and brings more and more corruption into our neighborhoods and cities. But even though we commit wickedness, God still loves us and wants to save us. To keep us from damaging ourselves further and from hurting other people, God disciplines us when we sin. The hand of God's chastisement seeks to correct us so we will learn to live righteously and morally throughout life. Listen to what God's Holy Word says about chastisement and discipline:

"Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit" (John 15:2). "For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world" (1 Cor. 11:30-32). "And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth" (Hebrews 12:5-6). "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent" (Rev. 3:19). "Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, so the LORD thy God chasteneth thee" (Deut. 8:5). P a g e | 8

"Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O LORD, and teachest him out of thy law" (Psalm 94:12). "My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction: For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth" (Proverbs 3:11-12).

3. (11:27-40) Judgment, Surety of— Rebellion, Against Solomon— Jeroboam, Rebellion of— Prophecy, Concerning Israel, Divided Kingdom— Israel, Prophecy Concerning, Divided Kingdom— Jeroboam, Appointed by God— Ahijah, Prophecies of, Divided Kingdom: there was the rebellion of Jeroboam against Solomon and the prophecy of the divided kingdom. By far, this rebellion was the most serious threat faced by Solomon during his reign. For Jeroboam was an Israelite himself and was actually one of Solomon's own officials (see 1 Kings 11:26). Moreover, Jeroboam was destined to become the first king of the northern tribes after the split of the nation. Scripture paints a dramatic picture of the uprising and the prophecy predicting the divided kingdom.

1. Jeroboam had been the supervisor of a huge work force that was building the supporting terraces and repairing the walls of Jerusalem (1 Kings 11:27-28). Supervising a large corps of workers gave him contact—a power base—with a large number of disgruntled people. Sometime earlier, Jeroboam's hard work had caught the eye of Solomon. As a result, the king promoted the young man to be labor supervisor over the tribes of Joseph, that is, the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh. 2. Soon after his promotion, Jeroboam was dramatically confronted by the prophet Ahijah (1 Kings 11:29- 39). For some reason, Jeroboam was leaving the city of Jerusalem and walking alone in the countryside. Being sent by the LORD to meet with the young man, Ahijah informed him that he was to be the future ruler over the ten northern tribes of Israel after the nation had been torn apart. Ahijah did six things with Jeroboam: a. The prophet approached Jeroboam and presented an object lesson to him (1 Kings 11:29-30). He took a new cloak and tore it into twelve pieces, handing ten pieces to Jeroboam. b. Ahijah then explained the symbolic message of the torn cloak (1 Kings 11:32-33). Just as he had torn the cloak, so God was tearing the kingdom away from Solomon and giving to Jeroboam ten tribes to rule over. Only one tribe, Judah, was to be given to Solomon and his son, and this only for the sake of David. Keep in mind that the tribe of Benjamin was within Judah and was so small that it was considered to be a part of Judah. c. Ahijah spelled out the reasons why the kingdom was being divided and the nation Israel torn apart (1 Kings 11:33). Three reasons were given: ⇒ because the king and the people had forsaken God ⇒ because the king and the people had engaged in false worship, see 1 Kings 11:4-8 ⇒because the king and the people had disobeyed God's commandments, refusing to walk in the ways of the LORD d. Ahijah reassured Jeroboam that God had chosen him to rule (1 Kings 11:34-37). But for David's sake God was not going to take the kingdom out of Solomon's hand during Solomon's lifetime. God would take the kingdom from Solomon's son and give the ten northern tribes to Jeroboam to rule (1 Kings 11:35). However, Jeroboam must remember that God was going to give one tribe, the tribe of Judah, to Solomon's son. David was always to have a light before the LORD in Jerusalem, the city where God had chosen to honor His Name (1 Kings 11:36). By light is meant the unconditional promise of God in the Davidic covenant: that God would someday establish the throne of David and that his throne would be eternal (see outline—• 2 Samuel 7:1-17 and notes—• 2 Samuel 7:1-17 for more discussion). Of course, this points to the Ideal Son of David, the Eternal King who is appointed by God to rule forever upon the throne of David, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. P a g e | 9

With these words, Ahijah the prophet reassured Jeroboam that God was going to make him king. The young man would rule over all he desired, over the ten tribes of northern Israel. e. After reassuring Jeroboam, Ahijah declared God's startling promise to the young man. Just as God had established a lasting dynasty for David, God could establish a lasting dynasty for Jeroboam. But there was one very strict condition: obedience. Jeroboam must keep God's commandments. If he kept God's commandments, God promised to grant His very own presence and to give Jeroboam a dynasty that would endure just as much as David's. What a startling and remarkable promise! f.Finally, Ahijah gave the reason for God's judgment upon Israel and upon David's descendants (1 Kings 11:39). Israel and David's house were to be humbled, punished in judgment. But note what Scripture says: "not forever." Again, this is a reference to the coming Son of David, the Messiah and Savior of the world, the Lord Jesus Christ. 3. Sometime after being confronted by Ahijah and receiving the prophecy of God, Jeroboam rebelled against Solomon. Nothing is said about how Jeroboam rebelled, but his revolt failed. And he was forced to flee for his life. He fled to Egypt where he stayed until Solomon's death (1 Kings 11:40).

Thought 1. Just as God had foretold to Solomon, His hand of judgment began to fall upon the king. So it is with us: when God predicts judgment, the hand of His judgment does fall. If we continue in sin, we will face the judgment of God. Whether we sin through immorality or engage in false worship as Solomon did, or commit more common sins such as lying, cursing, gossiping, or speaking unkindly, we will face the judgment of God. For sin arises from a heart that is not surrendered to God. And the only answer to sin is repentance, a turning of the heart back to God. The answer to sin, to being set free from the enslavement of sin, is repentance. But if we fail to repent, God has no choice but to condemn us and to send His hand of judgment upon us. This is exactly what Holy Scripture says:

"Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation" (John 5:28-29). "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness….Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them" (Romans 1:18, 29-32).

4. (11:41-43) Legacy, of Solomon— Worldliness, Example of— Death, Surety of— Solomon, Death of: there was the death of Solomon, a legacy of achievement, but tragically also of overindulgence and worldly pleasure. All the events of Solomon's reign were recorded in a book entitled The Book of the Acts of Solomon (1 Kings 11:41). Apparently, this was the source of material drawn upon by the author of 1 Kings. But note: not all the events of Solomon's reign are recorded in Scripture. P a g e | 10

The reign of Solomon lasted forty years (1 Kings 11:42). But keep in mind that he was to lose his kingdom due to sin. After his death, the unified nation of Israel that had reached its pinnacle of power and international influence was to be torn asunder. The ten northern tribes were to split off from the tribe of Judah, and never again would the nation be unified. All due to Solomon's terrible wickedness—his disobedience and overindulgence. Note the sad, silent picture of Solomon's death (1 Kings 11:43). No details are given about his passing away or his funeral. The only facts recorded in Scripture are that he was buried in Jerusalem and was succeeded by his son Rehoboam.

Thought 1. In closing, the expositor R. D. Patterson in The Expositor's Bible Commentary gives an excellent statement to close the life of Solomon:

Solomon left a big mark in history. His memory and fame live on. He represents the first stage in the fulfillment of the Davidic covenant; and, despite his faults, he foreshadows the coming Christ, the true Son of David. In addition his inspired words of wisdom as recorded in Scripture have challenged, taught, and inspired men throughout the ages.

Thought 2. Also giving an excellent summary of the life of Solomon is the commentator Paul R. House. The summary is well worth quoting in full:

With Solomon's death one of the book's major characters leaves the story. Only Elijah, Elisha, and, perhaps, Hezekiah and Josiah approach Solomon's prominence in the overall scheme of 1, 2 Kings. What kind of man was Solomon? How does the author characterize him? Certainly Solomon has some positive traits. Chief among these good qualities is his wisdom. He has the ability to gather knowledge on a wide range of topics, organize the information gathered, write his conclusions, live by his conclusions, and finally teach others what he has learned (cf. 1 Kgs 4:29-34; 10:1-13). Most importantly, at his best Solomon is able to do all these things in spiritual matters. Early in his career Solomon applies his knowledge of Scriptures and his experiences with God in a way that helps him obey God. He keeps the Lord's commands, judges justly, and builds the temple. Thus, wisdom means the ability to obey God's truth, and Solomon is quite able to be wise. Three other positive characteristics demonstrate Solomon's wisdom in so-called secular realms. First, he is an organizational genius. He is able to order, tax, and govern a fairly extensive political and financial empire. Solomon's cognitive abilities make this success possible. Second, he implements an effective foreign policy, which demonstrates his adaptability and willingness to compromise and improvise. Third, Solomon is humble enough to ask for God's help and thoughtful enough to pray for Israel, both in his time and in the future, and for other nations as well. Despite his failings in later years these good traits should not be forgotten. Sadly, no character sketch of Solomon is complete without an analysis of his flaws. He is capable of expressing his ambition to be a great king through the acquiring of vast wealth and numerous wives. Eventually these twin desires for prestige and sensuality lead to his nation's downfall. Solomon is not beyond using oppressive measures to get what he wants, as the P a g e | 11

institution of forced labor indicates, nor is he beyond cheating a friend, as his giving of worthless towns to Hiram proves. Worst of all, Solomon condones and even practices idolatry. Thus, he is capable of irrational thinking, ingratitude, and covenant infidelity. At his worst, then, this wise leader of Israel acts no better than the most foolish of his subjects. He thereby serves as a warning to those who take their God-given gifts for granted or, worse, come to believe they have achieved greatness on their own.

Preacher's Outline and Sermon Bible - Commentary - The Preacher's Outline & Sermon Bible – 1 Kings.